Aston Villa ex-defender Jlloyd Samuel dies at 37 in traffic accident

Former Trinidadian soccer player Jlloyd Samuel died on Tuesday, aged 37, in a traffic accident in England, the soccer federation of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed in a statement.

A former defender with English clubs Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers, Samuel's car collided with another vehicle and caught fire. He had dropped off his children at school, reports Efe.

"We've received some terrible news that former National defender and Ex-Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers player Jlloyd Samuel died in a car crash this morning in England," the soccer federation said on its official website.

The statement detailed that Samuel's body was "discovered burnt" after the crash, and extended the "deepest condolences" to the player's family.

Despite being born in Trinidad and Tobago, Samuel grew up in London, where he joined Charlton Athletic, then moved to Aston Villa in 2007.

After nine years with Aston, the defender spent a season on loan at Gillingham before joining Bolton Wanderers for four seasons.

In his years in the Premier League, Samuel played 240 games and scored two goals, and appeared in two games with his national team.

--IANS

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